Dishwasher appliances generally include a tub that defines a wash compartment. Rack assemblies can be mounted within the wash compartment of the tub for receipt of articles for washing. Spray assemblies within the wash compartment can apply or direct wash fluid towards articles disposed within the rack assemblies in order to clean such articles. Multiple spray assemblies can be provided including e.g., a lower spray arm assembly mounted to the tub at a bottom of the wash compartment, a mid-level spray arm assembly mounted to one of the rack assemblies, and/or an upper spray assembly mounted to the tub at a top of the wash compartment. Other configurations may be used as well.
A dishwashing appliance is typically equipped with at least one pump for circulating fluid through the multiple spray assemblies. In addition, a device, referred to as a diverter, may be used to control the flow of fluid received from the pump. For example, the diverter can be used to selectively control which spray assemblies receive a flow of fluid. In one construction, the diverter uses an electrically powered motor to rotate a valve between different ports for fluid control. Another construction uses a hydraulically actuated rotation mechanism to position a diverter valve to provide the desired fluid flow between spray assemblies without the need for a motor.
The diverter is a significant tool for complying with government regulations related to total energy and water usage for a dishwasher cycle. For example, a dishwasher may use a diverter to run only one spray assembly at a time, thereby decreasing the amount of water required to run a cycle compared to a dishwasher that runs all spray assemblies at the same time. Therefore, a dishwasher with a diverter may be more capable of meeting government regulations than a dishwasher without a diverter. However, because only one rack is being washed at a time, the total cycle time must increase so that the total wash time for each rack and the overall wash performance may be maintained. Although diverters are useful in meeting governmental regulations, conventional diverters typically provide little versatility to a user in selecting different flow combinations, which can increase cycle times and lead to a poor consumer perception of the washing machine appliance.
Accordingly, a dishwashing appliance that can be configured to selectively control the flow of fluid through one or more different spray assemblies or other fluid elements would be useful. More particularly, a variable position diverter for a dishwasher appliance providing reliable, versatile, and useful flow combinations to a plurality of spray assemblies using variable flows paths and rates would be especially beneficial.